But there’s still plenty of room for improvement
Alana Wilson is a senior economist with the Fraser Institute and co-author of the Survey of Mining Companies 2013.
VANCOUVER, BC, Mar 20, 2014/ Troy Media/ – British Columbia was once regarded by miners as hostile to investment and ranked last in Canada for the attractiveness of its mining policy environment. However the tide has turned in recent years and British Columbia has again improved its ratings for global mining investment.
Bringing a mine from discovery to production is a long, expensive and time-consuming process with thousands of mineral prospects explored for each new mine eventually developed. For this reason, mining companies seek out stable, predictable, and transparent policy environments for mining investment. Results from the recent Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies suggest that the province is becoming more attractive to mining investment with miners rating the province higher for a fifth consecutive year. However, despite this vote of confidence, B.C. could go further and become a global leader in mining.
The mining survey is based on the opinions of mining executives and assesses the effects of different public policy factors on attracting or dissuading investment. British Columbia has been included in the survey since its inception in 1997, where British Columbia ranked last of Canadian mining jurisdictions assessed. Since then, the survey list has expanded to include countries, states, and provinces around the world yet B.C. has lagged both within Canada and globally despite excellent geological prospects.
But there’s still plenty of room for improvement. On the basis of pure mineral potential, British Columbia ranked 5th of 112 global mining jurisdictions and leads Canada in terms of geological attractiveness. Yet on the basis of mining policy, British Columbia ranked 32nd and behind Alberta (ranked 3rd), New Brunswick (7th), Newfoundland and Labrador (9th), Saskatchewan (12th), Yukon (19th), Manitoba (26th), Ontario (28th), and Nova Scotia (29th).
To continue its upward track, B.C. policy makers must continue to provide policy certainty and stability; however, this has not been the case in recent years. A recent study by the Fraser Institute looked into why B.C. has continued to lag in the survey results and found policy uncertainty to be a key deterrent to investment in the province. Uncertainty deters investment by increasing risk for investors as it decreases their confidence in being able to recoup and profit from investments.
Uncertainty concerning disputed land claims was found to be a key deterrent to mining investment in the province. The evolving relationship between Aboriginal peoples and government is a primary reason for this uncertainty, compounded by relatively few finalized treaties and a lack of clarity concerning industry obligations regarding the Crown’s “duty to consult.” This uncertainty can deter investment and exploration in areas where prospectors are uncertain if they will be able to develop any viable deposits discovered.
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